Donna The Buffalo

Jeb Puryear & Tara Nevins from Donna The Buffalo talk about making feel-good music, building a tribe like “The Herd” and recording in analog and play 4 tracks from Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday.

Plus swamp funk from JJ Grey and Mofro, Ollabelle with americana cover of a Paul McCartney song, new country rock from Leo Rondeau, rock and roll from Too Slim and the Taildraggers, country rock from Tracy Walton, new music from Slaid Cleaves, and some old school blues from Ursala George

Donna The Buffalo

Interview Recap

Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear from Donna The Buffalo join Calvin to talk about Donna The Buffalo's new album, Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday.

Jeb Puryear says getting back into the studio felt like he remembered it and the technology hadn't moved along too much that he didn't recognize it. Tara Nevins says they actually “went backwards. We recorded the album all analog.” They knew they wanted to make a vinyl record so it was natural to do it all analog.

Tara Nevins sets up “I Love My Tribe.” She says she always comes up with melodies and on this one she came up with the melody first and the words just came out of her mouth. She says it's a song about coming out of heartbreak and relying on your friends, your tribe, your people.

Calvin notes that Donna The Buffalo Fans are insanely loyal and call themselves “The Herd.” Calvin asks Jeb an Tara what it takes to build such a loyal following. Tara says that their fans just started meeting each other at live events and that there's something about the music that makes it accessible. Jeb Puryear says the music has a way of creating a “psychological home” for music fans. Tara Nevins says, “I go to a lot of shows and a lot of concerts and the thing that's seems a little different is that people dance to us all night long.” Jeb says, “it makes me kinda feel like I belong at the same time.”

Jeb Puryear sets up “Love Time.” He says it's about meeting everyone at gigs and festivals. He says it was pertly inspired by Obama campaign rallies which was reminiscent of their musical feelings.

[Calvin plays “Love Time” from Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday by Donna The Buffalo.]

Calvin asks if there is a gospel / evangelical element to their music these days. Tara says it's not evangelical, “just about optimism and belief in a better way and and ever improving way to be.”

Tara Nevins sets up “No Reason Why.” She says she wrote part of it years ago and finished it for this album. You could say it's about dealing with what you've been given in the most positive way”

Calvin asks about the bridge on No Reason Why. Calvin says it's like Loretta Lynn doing rap. She says that she added it at the last minute and that she hasn't had the chance to play it live yet.

Calvin asks Jeb Puryear about the festivals that Donna The Buffalo supports. He says that there are three festivals. The first one started up in New York. Jeb says when they got it started all the festivals were genre specific. But because they come from old time music they started the festivals so that they could also have a rock band at it. He says the concerts are also benefit concerts. Tara Nevins says they went to a lot of festivals on their own and they were always comparing notes about the good and bad. Their festivals started out as a one night benefit for AIDS and then it turned into a three day event. Jeb Puryear says that the best music scenes are at the festivals.

Jeb Puryear sets up “Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday.” He says, “I was just fooling around with a phrase. Sometimes it's fun just to sit around writing country songs or whatever. I was thinking about getting someone else to sing and it just had a cool beat and we just started playing it.”

[Calvin plays “Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday” from Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday by Donna The Buffalo.]

Tara Nevins runs through the rest of the line up for Donna The Buffalo: David McCracken plays Hammond organ, Honer Clavinet & piano, Kyle Spark is on bass, and Mark Raudabaugh plays drums.